Workingpreacher.org Narrative Lectionary

When everything feels dead and hope seems lost, can dry bones live again?  In this powerful episode for the Second Sunday of Advent, hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester explore Ezekiel's stunning vision of the valley of dry bones—a message of hope for exiles who believed they were completely cut off from God. The conversation unpacks the rich Hebrew word "ruach" (spirit/breath/wind) that runs throughout Ezekiel 37, revealing how God promises to breathe new life into seemingly hopeless situations. Unlike Jeremiah who wrote from Jerusalem to the exiles, Ezekiel himself was living in exile, speaking directly into the despair of a displaced people whose city had been destroyed and who felt abandoned by God. This isn't just ancient history. Whether you're an individual feeling spiritually dried up, or part of a congregation that seems to have lost its vitality, this text speaks directly to that despair. As the hosts emphasize, the Israelites' lament—"our bones are dried up, our hope is l